


California Dreamin'

by auntjackie



Series: Revy Universe [1]
Category: Schitt's Creek (TV) RPF
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Fluff and Angst, Implied/Referenced Cheating, M/M, Made For Each Other, Requited Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-04
Updated: 2020-09-03
Packaged: 2021-03-05 21:35:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 13,971
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25702174
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/auntjackie/pseuds/auntjackie
Summary: Noah doesn't go through with the wedding. Instead, he realizes some truths and runs to a familiar face in California.
Relationships: Dan Levy & Noah Reid, Dan Levy/Noah Reid
Series: Revy Universe [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1936144
Comments: 14
Kudos: 40





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Recently discovered the awesomeness that is Schitt's Creek and have convinced myself Dan Levy and Noah Reid are perfect for each other...and they know it and will realize it one day :-)

“So, what’s the plan for tonight, hot stuff?”

Dan smiled at his best friend’s term of endearment. After their many years of friendship he was used to the many terms that came out of her mouth. 

“Ah, living the high life, Stace. Unsolved Mysteries on Netflix and takeout dinner ordered,” Dan flopped onto his still brand new sofa—was it 4 months old or 5 now—and busied his fingers in Redmond’s soft fur as the dog snored lightly besides him. 

“Sweet face, I hate to think of you alone out there. Come home! Nothing is happening right now. The world is literally paused…especially California. All you can do right now is write and you can do that from your apartment here in Toronto,” Stacey paused. “Or better yet, my apartment in Toronto.”

“I’m not alone out here, Stace. I have Red.” Dan frowned lightly as he heard the words coming out of his mouth. The pathetic in them was, well, pathetic. “Besides, I literally just moved out here. I can't come crawling back so soon!”

“You moved there before a global pandemic was declared, Daniel,” responded Stacey sharply. “You would be absolutely correct if you came home.”

“This is my home now, too, Stace and I can't leave it.” Dan looked up at the sound of his Ring alarm alerting him to someone at the door. “It’ll be fine. Things have to get better soon, right? Besides, I’m safe and healthy and have tons of work to do besides writing that can't be done in Toronto so I do have to stay here.”

“Fine. But don’t expect me to stop nagging you about this,” grumbled Stacey in his ear. 

“You haven’t stopped nagging me since the day we met. Why would now be any different?” Dan smiled and reached for the front door handle. “Listen, my food is here. Let me grab it and then we can resume…”

Dan’s eyes widened and his voice trailed off when he came face to face with the amber colored eyes of a man he hadn’t seen in months. “Noa….”

Noah quickly shook his head and pointed at the phone still pressed onto Dan’s ear. He shot him a pleading look and Dan quickly nodded. 

“No! Ah, the food is for me not that house. Come back, delivery man!” Dan grimaced at his voice, which had suddenly gone up two octaves. “Stacey, I gotta go chase down the delivery man. Talk later, ok?”

He waited to hear Stacey’s confirmation, the woman not seeming to notice Dan’s bad acting, before ending the call and shaking his head at the man before him. “Noah, what the hell are you doing here?”

Noah smiled at him and shrugged. “I missed you. Don’t I get a hug?”

Dan frowned at the younger man but before he could reply Noah pushed past him into the main foyer and lowered himself to the floor and the wiggling ball of red fur currently trying to get his attention. 

“Reddy! Hey, boy! How are you?”

Dan sighed and shut the door closed before turning over. Despite his shock at Noah’s appearance at his door he couldn’t help but smile at Noah curled up on the floor while Redmond jumped up and down in excitement at seeing one of his favorite people.

“Hey, look, Reddy. We made Dad smile,”

Dan’s smile slowly dropped and he crossed his arms across his chest. “Noah, what are you doing here? In my house? In the middle of a pandemic? When your entire family is looking for you?”

Noah sighed and stood up. “I’ve been in California for 3 weeks. I quarantined in a hotel and got tested 3 times. I’m fine. I didn’t bring any germs into your precious new home, Daniel.”

Dan frowned. “For once my hypochondria isn’t what I’m most concerned about here, Noah,”

Noah bent down to grab the luggage he’d dumped on the floor and turned towards the living room. “I’m starved. Let’s order dinner and then I’ll answer all your questions.”

“Dinner,” Dan turned towards the door once more as it rang again. When he opened the door a delivery man stood in front and handed him a bag. Before he could reach for it Noah darted forward and grabbed the bag. He threw a “Thanks, man,” over his shoulder and headed towards the kitchen. Dan smiled apologetically at the bewildered delivery man before shutting the door. Redmond looked up at him from the floor and Dan shrugged. “Don’t look at me. I don’t know what he’s doing here.”

By the time Dan walked into his kitchen Noah had the food spread out and was dishing it onto two plates. “We may need to order more. There’s not enough for both of us.”

“That’s because it’s an order for one. I don’t know I was gonna have an escaped fugitive from Canada joining me,” Dan smirked over at Noah and grabbed the plate with the most food. 

Noah rolled his eyes and lowered himself to a stool around the kitchen island. “This is from Shanghai Gardens, right? I’ll call and order some more,”

Dan placed his plate down and shook his head. “Forget the fucking food, Noah.”

Noah lowered his eyes to his plate and moved some food around with a fork. “Everyone knows I’m fine—relax. They don’t need to know exactly where I am, though. I told them I needed time away from everyone to think.”

Dan nodded and lowered himself to a stool across from Noah’s. “Well, that’s good. Your parents sounded so worried when I spoke to them…”

“They called you?” Noah’s eyes widened. 

“Of course they called me, Noah. I’m pretty sure they called everyone. They were panicking. You just up and disappeared a week before your wedding.” Dan shook his head. “We were all panicked. Can you blame us?”

Noah shrugged and shook his head at the same time. “I know it was a shitty thing to do. I just had to get out.”

Dan remained silent, his gaze on Noah and the pair fell into a comfortable silence as each played with the food on their respective plate. 

A little over a month ago Dan had been preparing to put aside his fear of germs and fly back to Toronto for Noah’s wedding to his longtime girlfriend, Clare. He had been looking forward to seeing them and the rest of his Schitt’s Creek family, who would also be attending the event. He had also been looking forward to seeing Noah actually become a married man. For too many years prior he and Noah had blurred the lines of their friendship. For too many months prior to Noah’s wedding they had crossed the line completely. It gutted Dan every time and he’d hated himself after. He knew Clare. She was good, kind and so trusting. He was betraying her every time. But, there was something about Noah he couldn’t resist. They were like magnets drawn to each other. Every morning after they’d swear it wouldn’t happen again. They’d promise to just remain friends. Dan would put his foot down and force himself to stop himself. And then, it’d happen again. He figured seeing the actual wedding would knock some sense into him and finally cement the idea that Noah could no longer be his in his head. 

“I told Clare everything before I left. I didn’t just run out on her like some bad rom com movie and leave her wondering why.”

Dan looked up, his eyebrows raised. “What? You told Clare…”

Noah nodded. “I told her everything…about us. How horrible I felt that every time I was with you I was hurting her. But, also, how I didn’t regret any single time.”

Dan looked down and shook his head, his chest tightening with emotion. He pushed his chair back and stood, walking towards the backyard door. Redmond quickly stood from where he had been curled at Dan’s feet and followed him with a whine, sensing Dan’s rising anxiety. 

“Daniel, please. It’s taken me a month to get the nerve to tell you this. There’s a reason when I ran that I ran right to where you are.”

Dan took a deep breath and slowly turned, his arms still tightly crossed against his chest. He could feel the warmth coming from Noah’s body as the younger man stood before him. 

“Can we sit down?” Noah stretched his hand out slowly, his fingertips grazing Dan’s arms. He gently pried them apart and slid his hand down one arm, linking their fingers together. He tugged Dan gently towards the sofa and pulled them down to sit, legs touching. 

“Dan, I couldn’t marry Clare. I think I’ve known that for a long time now but I just couldn’t admit it to myself. But, then, suddenly with each week the wedding kept getting closer and closer and I swear I just couldn’t breathe. All I could think about was you and every time we were together and I wanted to be with you so badly.” Noah laughed softly. “When I told Clare she wasn’t even shocked. She said she’d had a suspicion for a while now but she just ignored it. Her reaction made me feel even worse. How could she be so kind after all I’d done? I’d cheated on her and asked her to marry me knowing damn well that wasn’t what I wanted! Hell, she even let me run away at the end and agreed to deal with all the questions. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to understand how she could be so kind. I don’t think I would’ve been had the situation been reversed.”

“She’s better than both of us. Just an amazing woman,” whispered Dan.

“Who deserves and now has the chance to find someone so much better than me,” replied Noah with a nod. He slowly turned his body over to face Dan, his hand seeking out the older man’s leg. “Dan, I am ridiculously in love with you. I’ve known that I am for almost a year now but I just didn’t want to admit it to myself. I was terrified of the pressure that would come from us actually dating in real life after being on the show together and our storyline…I mean, can anything in real life top David and Patrick?”

Noah squeezed Dan’s thigh and stared intently into his eyes. “I convinced myself that marrying Clare and just having you as a friend was the right way to go…but I was wrong.”

Dan quickly lowered his face to where Noah’s fingers lingered on his leg but remained silent. 

“Dan, I don’t expect anything from you by telling you this. I just had to tell you.”

Dan nodded. “I understand.” He sighed and slowly removed himself from Noah’s side. “This is a lot to process. I need some time, Noah.”

Noah’s face looked momentarily crestfallen but he quickly recovered and smiled at Dan. “Yeah, of course.”

“You can stay for as long as you want. You know where everything is.” Dan motioned towards the upstairs and turned. “I’m gonna go up for a bit. I need to return Stacey’s call and then I have another call later but make yourself at home, OK."

Noah nodded and motioned to the kitchen. “I’ll clean up in case you want your food later,”

Dan nodded and hurried up the stairs, the click of Redmond’s nails following him up. Only when securely behind the closed door to his bedroom did he let out the gasp he had been holding in the entire time during Noah’s confession. “Holy shit,”


	2. Forgiveness. Can you imagine?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some conversations are had...

"Dan? Dan, wake up! Daniel!”

Dan heard the faraway voice calling his name and his eyes squeezed shut in an effort to block it out. Why was someone trying to wake him up? Didn’t the person know that was never a good idea?

“You’re gonna get wrinkles from frowning so hard, Dan.”

Dan’s eyes shot open at that comment and immediately shrank back from the face that hovered only mere inches from his face. He blinked twice rapidly before whispering, “Noah?”

Noah smiled and moved his hand to smooth over the curls of Dan’s hair. Dan froze as the younger man’s fingers moved through his hair and then continued down his face in a gentle caress. “You fell asleep for a bit. Sorry I woke you but you said you had a call later and I didn’t want you to miss it.”

Dan nodded and pulled away from Noah’s hand by sliding out of the bed quickly. “Yes, I do. Thank you. I didn’t mean to fall asleep. I don’t know how that happened.”

Noah shrugged and motioned to the bedroom door. “Red and I went for a walk and had dinner together. Your dinner is downstairs whenever you want it. I kept it in the warmer.”

Dan nodded and glanced down at Redmond aka his turned traitor dog who even now looked up adoringly at Noah. “Thank you for that. Can I have just a couple minutes to get settled?”

Noah quickly nodded. “Of course. Maybe after you’re done with your call we can watch a movie?”

Dan gulped. “Mm, yeah maybe.”

Noah smiled and turned to walk out. He tapped his thigh and said, “Come on, Reddy. Let’s let Dad get settled. Come down with me,”

“Oh, he’s fine to stay…” Dan trailed off as Redmond quickly stood up and followed Noah, who threw an apologetic shrug over his shoulder, out of the room. Seriously, the dog was a traitor. 

Dan walked over to the closed bedroom door and leaned against it, his mind spinning as it went through all that had happened in the past few hours. Noah, his friend turned sometimes secret lover, had canceled his wedding a week before it was supposed to happen and had now shown up at his doorstep to profess his love for him after a month of silence and hiding. Oh, and he had confessed to his former fiancé, another person Dan considered a friend, that he had cheated on her countless times with Dan. No wonder he fell asleep. His brain needed a reset. 

“OK, get it together, Daniel. You need to figure this out.” Dan moved over to the foot of his bed and sat down. He reached for his phone and instinctively scrolled to Stacey’s name. Stacey had been there for it all—the good and the bad of his life and she was known for not holding back and letting Dan know exactly what she thought when he asked for her help or opinion. However, how could he call her now and let her know what he’d done? He had been hiding what he and Noah were doing from everyone; including her. He couldn’t bring himself to let Stacey know what he had done. Stacey had been through her own heartbreak over a man she loved cheating on her. Dan couldn’t bring himself to tell her that he’d helped Noah do the same to Clare. 

Dan groaned and threw himself back on the bed. His brain was spinning in a million directions but, when it came down to it, the bulk of it wanted him to go down to Noah and devour the man. Now that he was past his shock at seeing him at his door every feeling he had for the man had come flooding back into his body. He didn’t think there would ever be a day that he could look at Noah and not want him. 

Just as he had convinced himself it would be OK to go down to Noah, his cell phone rang in his hand. The name and face of one of the new writers on his staff looked up at him and Dan sighed. Noah would have to wait until his first obsession—his work—was done for the night. 

A little over an hour later a much more settled Dan strolled downstairs and found Noah and Redmond curled up on the sofa in the living room, a baseball game playing on the television before them. Dan couldn’t help but smile. “Hey,”

Noah looked up at the sound of his voice and smiled back. Redmond quickly jumped off the sofa and padded towards Dan, his tail wagging excitedly. 

“Oh, now you want me after being attached to Noah since he got here?” admonished Dan gently. Red just looked up at him until Dan laughed softly and bent to rub his head. 

“Are you jealous, Dan? Think Reddy loves me more?” teased Noah, stretching out on the sofa. He had changed into a pair of sweats and a t-shirt and Dan couldn’t help but follow the fabric of the shirt as it rode up on his stomach. 

“Doubt it,” Dan moved over to the sofa and motioned to the TV. “The game has to go or else I’m going back upstairs. You said we were gonna watch a movie.”

Noah quickly aimed the remote at Daniel. “Yes, sir. Pick whatever you want,”

“For someone so short you’re taking up all the space. Can you move your legs so I can sit?” Dan ignored Noah’s gasp but couldn’t help but chuckle when the younger man grabbed his chest. 

“Ouch, Daniel!” 

Dan made himself comfortable on the sofa once Noah pulled his legs up and focused on finding a movie he knew they’d both enjoy. He could feel Noah’s gaze on him but he was determined to ignore it. He had decided to live in blissful ignorance for the rest of the night. They were just two buddies hanging out watching a movie tonight. Dealing with Noah’s confession can begin tomorrow. 

“So, what are you in the mood for?” Dan groaned internally the minute the question came out of his mouth. If there was ever a perfect setup for Noah, who never missed a chance, that was it. He could feel the heat of the younger man’s gaze intensify and prepared himself for his answer. 

“Weren’t you teasing me about not knowing much about that old actor Rock Hudson? Let’s watch one of his movies.”

Dan frowned and looked over at Noah, who just smiled at him. “Uh, sure,”

He scrolled to one of his favorite movies saved on his DVR and pressed play. “This is a great one. Besides Rock, it stars Elizabeth Taylor and James Dean. I think you’ll like it.”

“I’ll love it.” Noah flipped himself around and Dan bit his lip when their shoulders touched. He kept his eyes forward and prayed he’d be able to just focus on the movie. 

It was close to 2 hours later that Dan’s stomach interrupted his focus on both the movie and ignoring the heat from Noah’s body so close to his. He pressed the pause button, eliciting a groan from Noah. 

“Hey! Why’d you stop? I wanna see what happens with Luz and Jett!”

Dan laughed and slowly stood up. “I’m starving. I didn’t eat dinner, remember, and I can't make it another hour. Completely forgot this movie is over 3 hours long but I am, however, very happy you’re enjoying it.”

Noah stood up and followed Dan to the kitchen. “I guess I could use a stretch. And, yes, I am enjoying it. That Rock Hudson was hot. James Dean wasn’t bad either.”

Dan smiled and pulled his still warm plate out of the oven. “Don’t forget Liz. She was a beauty.”

“Agreed,” Noah pulled a couple of beers from the fridge and sat across from where Dan stood, handing him one and watching as he ate. A comfortable silence stretched between them for a few minutes until Noah spoke once more. 

“Thank you for tonight, Daniel.”

Dan lowered his plate and frowned. “For what?”

Noah shrugged. “For just letting me be here with you; for just letting me be. A part of me thought you were gonna send me back to the hotel.”

“I would never, Noah. I know what it’s like to need to disappear for a bit and have that space to just think things through.” Dan reached over the counter and took Noah’s hand. “I meant it when I said you can stay as long as you need.”

Noah smiled. “Thank you. I mean, I couldn’t leave now anyway. Red would miss me too much,”

Dan rolled his eyes and turned away, glancing over at his traitorous little dog who once again curled up at Noah’s feet. “Whatever,” 

Noah laughed and moved over to the refrigerator. He pulled out 2 ice cream cones and held them out to Dan. “Dessert time. Fudge or almond crunch—what are you in the mood for?”

Dan looked over his shoulder and placed the now clean dinner plate onto the rack near the sink. He met Noah’s teasing look as he repeated to him the same question he’d asked earlier. 

“Almond, please,” he could ignore the bait just as well as Noah could. He unwrapped the cone and took a bite, closing his eyes as he savored the flavor. 

Noah watched him for a few seconds before looking down at the cone on his hand. “Is the almond good?” 

Dan nodded. “Yeah, it’s great. Want a taste?”

Noah nodded and stepped forward but instead of reaching for the cone Dan held out he grabbed the back of Dan's head and pulled him down, sealing their lips and drawing out a startled yelp from the older man. The initial soft press of lips became harder and a lick to Dan's lips demanded entry. His mind was spinning; this wasn’t what the night was supposed to lead to. However, he gladly welcomed Noah into his mouth and deepened the kiss. A moan escaped both men at the intensity of the kiss and they had to pull back to breathe.

Dan reached up and ran a finger across his lips before frowning at Noah. “That is one of the oldest moves in the game, Reid. I can't believe you just did that.”

Noah smirked. “If it ain’t broke…”

Dan rolled his eyes and wrapped the forgotten cone in a napkin. He used the time to take a deep breath and to collect himself. “Noah, I don’t…”

“Dan, I know you said you need time and I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have just grabbed you like that. I’ve just been dying to do that since you opened the front door,” Noah grabbed Dan’s hands and squeezed them tightly, caressing his skin with his thumb. “We’re so good together, baby. You know we are. Why do you have to think about it?”

Dan felt his chest tighten and he shook his head. “Stop. Don’t say things like that. It’s not that simple.”

"It really is, though. You just think too much and over analyze things, Daniel,” Noah replied firmly. 

Dan narrowed his eyes and scoffed. He turned and walked out of the kitchen, needing a few seconds to come down from that kiss. He plan for the night was literally imploding in front of his eyes. There was no kissing and talking about his relationship with Noah in his well thought out plan for the night. 

“You know I’m right. And, stop acting like you’re upset about that kiss. I know it didn’t bother you. Besides, we’ve done a hell of a lot more than kiss. I’ve tasted a lot more than almond from your mouth.”

Dan spun around, his eyes wide. “Stop it. This isn’t simple and the kiss did bother me. Don’t tell me how I feel, Noah. I tell you how I feel.”

Noah sighed and lowered his head. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to. I just don’t want you to overthink this and start spiraling about it.” He moved towards where Dan stood slowly.  
“Dan, we’ve been together so many times over the past few months. Every time we said we’d never let it happen again and it would. Over and over. There’s something here. I already told you how I feel. I don’t want to speak for you but I really think you have to feel the same way about me. Just talk to me and tell me.”

Dan shook his head and crossed his arms over his chest. He took a couple of steps back, needing to put distance between he and Noah. “You wanna know how I feel? I hate myself for letting us cross the line we did. I hate that I did that to Claire. You weren’t mine to want…”

“I am now,” interrupted Noah. 

“It doesn’t matter. I don’t think I can get over this enough to allow us to happen no matter how much I may still want you.” 

Noah sighed. “We’re human, Dan. We did something we shouldn’t have done. A part of me will never forgive myself for hurting Claire like I did but I have to move on from it. I did the right thing in the end and confessed everything to her and let her go find someone who would actually love her the right way and she accepted my apology. The only thing we both can do now is move on. I want to try and do that with you. There’s a reason we kept coming back together. There is something between us. Give us a chance to see what it is.”

Dan bit his lip and sighed deeply. “You make it sound so easy.”

“Because it is. It can be. If Clare can forgive me, and you, why can't you forgive yourself?” Noah walked over and took Dan’s arms in his hands, uncrossing them and pulling him close. “Do you need to talk to her and hear it from her lips? I can get her on the phone,”

Dan stiffened in Noah’s hold and shook his head. “I don’t think I’ll ever be able to talk to her again.” He looked into Noah's eyes, the younger man holding their bodies close together. “I need to make peace with this on my own. In my own way, OK. Can you understand that?”

Noah leaned his forehead on Dan’s shoulder, turning his lips to kiss the spot on his neck he had claimed for himself so many nights ago. “I’ll try but I’m making no promises.”

“Don’t play dirty,” whispered Dan, inhaling sharply at the feel of Noah’s lips. He watches Noah's eyes as he pulls away and his hands rise to capture his face as their lips join once again. This time the kiss is softer, initiated by Dan and directed by him, and he sweeps his tongue over Noah's lower lip. Noah opened for him, allowing Dan to taste him as he desired. He broke the kiss and moved his lips back to Dan’s neck, sucking at the soft skin at the base where it met his collarbone and sending prickles of pleasure down Dan's spine.

“OK, this doesn’t feel like you giving me time,”

He could feel Noah’s lips curve into a smile against his skin before he pulled back. “I tried to pull away but someone didn’t let me,”

Dan smiled and reluctantly pulled away from Noah’s body. “I’m gonna head upstairs. I’ll see you in the morning, OK.”

Noah nodded, the smile still on his face. He motioned over to the TV. “I’m gonna go see how Rock, James and Liz end up.”

Dan nodded a final time and headed up the stairs. Once behind the safety of his bedroom door, Redmond securely settled in his bed, he pulled out his cell phone and shot Stacey a text. 

“Noah showed up in my house today. He’s been in LA for the month since he left Toronto, Claire and the wedding that wasn’t. He actually called off the wedding because he and I have been hooking up for months and he realized he’s in love with me. He confessed it all to Claire and now he’s here with me. He wants to actually be with me. And, I’m pretty sure I want to be with him too.”

Dan threw the phone on the bed and quickly changed into a pair of PJ’s before rushing in to brush his teeth. He was pretty certain he had less than 5 minutes before Stacey would read the text and call. 

In exactly 8 minutes his phone rang. She was late. 

“Hey,”

“You whore, Daniel. I am going to kill you for keeping this from me.”

Dan settled on his bed and wrapped himself in the large bedspread, preparing himself for whatever Stacey was going to dish out. “I know. I’m a horrible person who’s done really shitty stuff. Just say it,”

“OK, two things,” replied Stacey sternly. “One, don’t tell me what to do. And, two, don’t ever say my best friend is a shitty person. He’s the best human in the world.”

Dan laughed loudly as a tear escaped his eye. Stacey’s words had always had the power to knock a piece of him loose and allow his vulnerability to come forward. 

“Well, right now he feels like a horrible person who just betrays his friends.” Dan wiped his eyes clean and sighed. “And he wants to go back downstairs to where Noah is.”

Stacey giggled in his ear. “So, go, babe,” 

Dan frowned. “What? That is not at all what I thought you would say!”

“Daniel,” began Stacey with a sigh. “You’ve been hooking up with the man for months, you said. He left the girl he thought he would spend the rest of his life for you. It clearly sounds like you two want to be with each other so go and be with each other, babe!”

“Stace! This isn’t the way to start a relationship!”

“Daniel! Relationships don’t have a specific way to start!”

Dan groaned and sat up in the bed. “We cheated on Clare a bunch of times. What kind of person does that?”

“A normal human being,”

“Stop acting like you’re OK with this, you liar! You despise cheaters! We’ve had this conversation. Just tell me I’m a horrible person like I know you want to do!”

“You’re a fucking lunatic. That’s what you are,”

He could hear Stacey’s eye roll through the phone. “Stace, you’re just excusing what I did because it’s me but I know I did something wrong.”

“OK, sweet face.” Stacey sighed in his ear. “Listen, was it the wisest choice? No. However, you know that and you’ll figure out a way to make your peace with it. Noah already did when he confessed and didn't go through with the wedding. And, seeing as how Clare hasn’t blasted him to everyone or put a hit out on him in the past month, I’m guessing she’s begun the moving on process too,”

“Noah said she wasn’t that surprised when he told her about us; that she’d had her suspicions for a while,” Dan frowned. “Did you notice anything change between Noah and I? Like, did we act different?”

“I didn’t notice anything different. I mean, you and Noah have always been close—from day one people were mistaking you two for a real life couple.”

“Hmm,”

“Daniel, stop thinking about things so much. You think things to death. What does your heart tell you, babe?”

Dan sighed and threw his head back onto the pillow. “That I want to go be with Noah.”

“Then go be with him, sweetheart. There is nothing wrong with wanting him. What’s holding you back? And don’t say you feel guilty!”

“I do feel guilty!”

“So then do what you have to do to get over that so you can go get that gorgeous man downstairs!”

Dan bit his lip. “I have to call her. I don’t know if I can.”

“You can and you will. Right now—go on.” 

”Stace, I…” Dan frowned when he heard the call end. He stared at the phone at his hand and groaned at the annoying woman he called his best friend. He knew what he had to do. 

Before he could talk himself out of it, he pressed the icon for Clare’s name. He took a deep breath and listened to the phone ring in his ear. A part of him prayed for the voicemail while another just wanted her to answer so he can get it over with—whatever she said to him he deserved. 

“Dan? Why are you calling so late?”

Dan’s eyes widened when he heard Clare’s voice croak in his ear. Shit, he had forgotten the time difference! It had to be close to 2AM on the East Coast. 

“Oh my God, Clare, I’m so sorry! I didn’t realize the time…go back to sleep! I’ll call tomorrow.”

“You already woke me up. Might as well talk to me now,” Clare giggled on her end and Dan smiled. 

“Are you sure? I’m really sorry,”

“Yes, I’m sure! It’s fine! Talk to me,” Clare laughed and Dan could hear her shifting around in her bed. “What’s up?”

Dan’s smile faded slightly. “I know Noah told you about us. I feel horrible, Clare.”

“Ah, I was wondering when you’d call. Did he reach out to you? How’s he doing?”

“He’s, uh, good. He’s downstairs,” Dan cleared his throat and tried to settle his nerves. “He came here and is gonna stay with me for a bit. But, we’re not together or anything, you know. He’s just staying here as a friend…”

“Dan, you don’t have to explain anything to me. He’s no longer mine.” Clare sighed. “He hasn’t been mine for a long time. I think he’s been yours for a while now.”

Dan closed his eyes tightly as they watered once more. “Clare, I’m so sorry. I don’t know what came over me. I’ve never been with anyone that I know is with someone else. I feel horrible. I hate that I hurt you. You didn’t deserve this and I don’t know if I can ever forgive myself.”

“Well, I forgive you, Dan. Just like I forgive Noah. There’s no point in my hating you two,” Clare replied. “Would I have liked it if Noah told me how he was feeling before starting a thing with you; sure. Was I upset in the moment; yes. But, I’d had my suspicions and I just ignored them. Things had changed in our relationship so long before you guys even hooked up for the first time. I just pretended not to see it. Maybe if I’d confronted Noah we could’ve saved ourselves a lot of time and trouble, too.”

“That doesn’t excuse what I did.”

“No, it doesn’t and I trust you’ve learned your lesson from this and won't be doing it again.” Clare scolded mildly. “But, like I said, I forgive you.”

“You’re amazing, Clare. I don’t deserve you as a friend,” Dan gulped. “Well, at least I hope I can still call you my friend.”

“Of course you can, sweetheart. I truly do wish you the best—whether it’s with Noah or someone else.”

Dan smiled. He chatted with Clare for a few more minutes and was excited to hear how happy she sounded. She truly had begun to move on from her relationship with Noah and Dan heard no ill will in her voice. It was remarkable to experience. They ended the call with more apologies, words of forgiveness and promises to remain connected in the future. It filled Dan with hope that maybe he could now start forgive himself too and actually imagine a future with Noah out in the open.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the love, guys! I am having so much fun writing his! 
> 
> Come talk Noah, Dan and all things SC with me on Twitter @JackieInDaCity
> 
> PS, props if you can identify the movie they watched! It's a great one!  
> And, props if you know where the chapter title is from!


	3. Let's talk it out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dan and Noah talk a bit.

The next morning and the sunshine filtering in through his windows came much too quickly for Dan’s liking. He blinked and pulled the covers over his head but it was no use. He was awake. He sighed and threw the covers off before sitting up in bed and running his hand through the mop on his head. A quick glance to his left made him frown when he realized Redmond was no longer asleep in his bed. Dan’s frown deepened when he saw the folded piece of paper in Red’s bed and bent to pick it up. 

“Hey, Dad. I went for a walk and breakfast with Noah aka my new favorite person. We were hungry and you were still sleeping…and snoring. Don’t worry. I will make sure Noah wears his mask and uses the hand sanitizer.  
See you soon.”

Dan smiled and placed the note on his nightstand. It was silly, sweet, completely Noah and he loved it. Waking up to something that instantly reminded him of Noah wasn’t the worst thing. If anything, it made him want to do it every morning. Dan frowned at the thought and headed to the bathroom to get ready for the day.

Close to an hour later, Dan wandered down to his kitchen and made himself a cup of coffee. He had checked his phone but there was nothing he was in the mood to reply to; some silly jokes from his dad, who had just discovered texting with emoji’s, a new movie review from his sister and a string of messages from Stacey asking him how his conversation with Clare went. He ignored the messages and instead pressed Noah’s name on the phone screen. It rang twice before he heard the voice that made him smile as when he read his notes. 

“Hey! Mornin’ sleepyhead!”

“Hey. Where are you guys?”

“We came to the park that’s a few minutes away. Reddy told me you haven’t been taking him out for long and I thought he needed a good run around session.”

Dan rolled his eyes. “I take him out every day for a bit to do his business. There’s no need to stay out for longer. May I remind you there’s a pandemic overwhelming this country and state?”

Dan heard the phone ring in his ear and saw Noah trying to connect via FaceTime. He accepted the call and was practically blinded by the sunshine behind Noah’s face, which was thankfully half covered by a mask. 

“I found a pretty secluded spot. It’s just Red and I and a stick we’re tossing around.”

Dan smiled when Noah tilted the phone down to see Red happily playing with a large stick in the bright, green grass and then tilted it back up to pan around the area. Noah had been right; he had found a space where it just seemed to be the two of them. 

“He looks like he’s having a great time. Thanks,”

Noah shrugged. “No need to thank me. I’m enjoying it as much as he is.” He turned to look down at Red as the dog bounced back over to him. “We’ll be home soon, though, ok?”

Dan nodded and disconnected the call. He couldn’t help but smile at the warmth that spread through his body when Noah called his house “home”. He bit his lip and stroked the screen of the phone before quickly making a decision. 

Sliding his phone in his back pocket he strode to the entryway closet, pulled a mask over his face and strode out his front door towards the park before he could change his mind and talk himself out of going outside. He was happy to see that his route was mostly empty of people but still walked the short distance to the park in record time. From Noah’s video he knew they were most likely near the further away south side of the park where families used to picnic. As Dan’s feet carried him in that direction he began to feel some apprehension kick in. Despite his talk with Clare and admitting to himself that he wanted a future with Noah where they weren’t hiding their relationship, he was still nervous about what that future would be like. Noah’s fear of how their real life relationship would succeed when the entire world would forever compare them to their on-screen characters was one he shared, as well. Noah had found the strength to put that fear aside and confess to Dan his love for him and how willing he was to be with him despite what the world would say. Now, it was just up to Dan to find the same strength. 

A loud bark made Dan snap out of his thought train and smile behind the mask. He could see Redmond run after the stick that Noah had thrown, his whole body wiggling in excitement, just a few feet away. 

“Hey!”

Noah turned at the sound of Dan’s voice, his eyes widening. “Hey! What are you doing out?”

Dan rolled his eyes and walked the final few steps to stand beside him. “Don’t make me sound like a hermit. I do come outside, you know.”

Noah raised his eyebrow, a slow smile widening his lips. “Of course you do,"

Dan ignored the teasing and frowned over at Noah. “Why isn’t your mask on?”

“Because it’s just me and Red here. CDC says you can remove your mask if you’re in an area by yourself.” Noah reached for Dan’s face. “Can I?”

Dan inhaled deeply, both at the sensation of Noah’s hands cupping his face and at a moment of hypochondria. “Noah…”

“It’s just us here, Dan. You’ll be ok,” whispered Noah.

Dan nodded and lowered his mask. Noah’s smile widened and his finger ran over Dan’s lip. “Hi,”

Dan’s lips parted and he quietly replied, “Hi,”

With that Noah leaned in and kissed Dan, wrapping his arms around his neck. He ran his tongue along the seam of his lips and kissed Dan with all the passion he had inside him, moaning deep in this throat as he felt Dan return the kiss with as much vigor. 

A sudden pounce on his leg broke the men apart and Noah looked down at the culprit with a laugh.  
“Seriously, Red? Can't you entertain yourself alone for a few minutes?”

Dan looked down at the ball of red fur and energy jumping up and down on Noah’s leg. “You’ve created a seriously dependent monster, Reid. I truly don’t know how Red is gonna survive without you.”

Noah bent down to rub Redmond’s fur a couple of times before tossing the stick once more for the excited pup. “We’re in the same boat, then.” He stood up and looked over at Dan. “Guess it just means I may have to look into getting a place here in LA.”

Dan nodded slowly and cleared his throat. “Hmm, well I’m sure Red would love to know you’re thinking about doing that but, for now, you know, you’re welcome to stay with me as long as you want. I mean, my house is too big for just Red and me…I actually got it so I would have the room to host my family and friends but then corona happened and…” he trailed off and shook his head. “Anyway, it’s felt nice having another person in the house especially after being alone for so long. And, if you want, it would give us a chance to work on our relationship…I mean, not that we have a relationship but maybe we can figure out where we stand and what we’re doing…”

“Daniel,” 

Dan stopped the verbal diarrhea spewing from his mouth and actually sighed in relief. “Yes?”

“I would love to stay with you and do anything we need to do to figure out what’s happening between us,” He turned towards Dan’s body and wrapped an arm around his waist. “As a matter of fact, I think we should head home and start working on it right now.”

Dan smirked and pressed his body closer to Noah’s. He smiled and placed a quick kiss on Noah’s lips. "Let's go home,"

___________________________________________________

Despite their promises to talk when they got back to the house, night fell and no conversation had been had by the men. Not 5 minutes into the house Dan’s cell phone rang with a frantic call from his head writer which then led to a 2 hour long Zoom meeting. By the time Dan finally emerged from his office, he looked exhausted. 

“God, I’m so sorry, Noah,”

Noah smiled over at him momentarily before turning his attention back to the vegetables he chopped on the counter in front of him. “Why are you sorry? Don’t you think I’m used to you being called away because of work? I realized a long time ago I would forever have to share you, Daniel,”

Dan smiled slowly and lowered himself to a stool on the opposite side of the counter. “What are you making? Can I help?”

“It’s not too hot so I figured we’d grill some steaks and veggies.” Noah scooped the chopped vegetables into a bowl and sprinkled them with some seasoning. He handed it to Dan. “Wanna take this out? I’ll be right there with the steaks. Just have to season them.”

Dan took the bowl from Noah’s hand and stood but didn’t move. He couldn’t help but smile as he watched Noah take the steaks out of the refrigerator and continue preparing them. The entire scene screamed domestic and it was just a wonderful feeling—one Dan didn’t realize how much he had craved until Noah has shown up at his doorstep. In two days he had flipped his and his dog’s life in a wonderful way. 

“I’m really happy you’re here, Noah.”

Noah looked up at Dan’s soft confession and smiled. “I’m really happy to be here,” He wiped his hands on a dish cloth and crossed his arms over his chest. “Nice to see the way to your heart hasn’t changed—it still clearly food.”

Dan smirked before dragging Noah towards him. He wrapped his arms around the younger man’s hips and pulled their groins together. Noah's arms wrapped tightly over Dan's back and the men's lips met in a hard, needy kiss. Dan groaned softly as Noah's hands roamed his body and his lips sucked on his neck lightly. He pulled back slowly and licked his lips. "Let's go upstairs,"

Noah smiled, his eyes closed as he leaned his forehead against Dan's. “Wow, you’re actually gonna choose me over those steaks?”

“I’m just as shocked as you are,” whispered Dan, as he pulled him up to his bedroom. Redmond immediately jumped off the sofa and moved to follow them upstairs but Dan quickly snapped his fingers. “No, Red. Stay,”

Noah laughed as he wrapped his arms around Dan’s waist from behind. “My poor bestie,”

“He can survive without you for a few hours,” replied Dan.

“Oh, a few hours. Ambitious,” teased Noah as he buried his face in Dan's neck, inhaling the faint scent of his cologne. 

Dan pushed open the door to his bedroom and headed for the large bed in the middle of the room, Noah still attached to his waist. He spun around and smiled when Noah gently pushed him down onto the bed and climbed on top of him, settling between his spread legs. 

Dan smiled and bought his lips to Noah's, kissing him slowly and deeply. Noah closed his eyes and moaned as he kissed Dan back, their tongues stroking slowly. A shiver of pleasure flew down his spine, and heat swirled low in his stomach and moved south. Noah moved his thigh between Dan’s legs, rubbing against his hardening cock. Dan moaned into his mouth and gripped his back tightly. 

“Fuck, I love you,”

Noah's eyes widened as they met Dan's and his lips curved into a smile. "What? You do?"

Dan smiled and ran his fingers over Noah's face. "Of course I do, Noah. The past few years you’ve been in my life have been the happiest time I've ever had in my life. That's all because of you. Of course I'm in love with you!"

He lowered his head and captured Noah's lips once more, tasting him completely before moving to trace his tongue over his ear down to his neck. His cock was throbbing now, and he began involuntarily thrusting it against Noah's thigh. 

He licked his way down Noah's neck and was rewarded with another moan by the younger man. Dan used the distraction to flip the men's positions and slowly slid his hand under the waistband of Noah's shorts. He lay his body on top of Noah's and wrapped his hand firmly around his hard cock, his thumb rubbing Noah's pre-cum all around the head. Noah shuddered as Dan began rubbing his fist up and down his length. Noah’s hips jerked up and closed his eyes tightly; the sensations Dan was creating literally making him shake.

"Dan, oh God,"

Dan pushed himself off Noah's body, holding the younger man down as his hands moved down his body. Dan lowered his mouth to Noah's chest and lifted his t-shirt up. His tongue traced down the middle of Noah’s chest down to the v of his hips. Noah groaned and arched his body only to have it pushed down by Dan as he, in one swift pull, took off the younger man's boxers leaving him exposed to his gaze. 

Noah opened his eyes, unable to breathe as Dan's tongue slowly traced the tip of his cock. His lungs felt like they would explode and he finally let out a long gush of air as Dan took the head of his cock into his mouth. Noah's head shot back into the pillow and he arched his hips up. Dan placed a hand on his waist and gently held him down as he slowly worked more of Noah's length into his mouth. Noah groaned and his hands tightly grabbed the sheets, twisting them in his fingers. 

"Fuck, Dan...stop or I'm going to...I'm gonna..." 

Dan knew what Noah was saying but he wouldn't stop. The sight of Noah in the throes of passion was too addicting. He swallowed the length of Noah's cock and started sucking hard and fast. Noah growled and reached down to grab Dan's head as his hips began to thrust up and down along with Dan's head. He felt his balls tighten and his fingers grasped Dan's hair. 

"Dan! I'm gonna cum!" 

Dan sucked faster and harder, while keeping his eyes open so he could see Noah's face as he came, moaning loudly, spine arching as his cum spurted down Dan's throat.  


Noah lay back on the bed, his sweaty back sticking to the bed sheets and desperately trying to catch his breath. He felt Dan move up his body slowly and pulled him up, kissing him intensely. He could taste himself on Dan's tongue and it made his body swell with even more love for the older man. 

“My God, Dan, you are amazing. I love you so much," he frowned momentarily. "You're still wearing too many clothes. Flip with me."

Dan lifted himself off Noah’s body and let the younger man flip them over. Noah leaned down and pulled him in for a fierce kiss, making fast work of removing Dan's clothes, with Dan arching his back so that Noah could pull his joggers and boxers down and then lifting up so he could remove his shirt. Once done, he lay on top of Dan and ground their erections together.

"Noah," Dan moaned. "I want you."

"You've got me," Noah said, kissing along Dan's collarbone and then down his body. He stopped when he reached Dan's erection, sucking on his hipbone before taking his cock into his mouth and swallowing him down swiftly.

"Fuck," Dan panted. He needed Noah to slow down so that he could gather his thoughts and construct coherent sentences. "Noah…I need to feel you inside me."

Noah moaned around Dan's dick then let it fall from his mouth. "Yeah?"

"Fuck yes," Dan laughed shakily. "Right now."

Noah moved up to crush his lips against Dan's. Their tongues fought for dominance and the kiss left them both breathless. When Noah pulled back, Dan spread his legs and stared up into his lover's eyes, a small smile on his face.

Noah broke eye contact to admire the view. "Daniel, you're fucking perfect," he said in a whisper. He moved to kneel between Dan's legs, tracing his hands down the skin of his thighs. "So beautiful..."

Dan lowered his eyes, a small smile on his face, and reached across to his nightstand. He pulled out a small bottle of lube and handed it to Noah, who coated a couple of fingers before ducking his head to place a wet kiss on Dan's chest. He reached for Dan's entrance, resting his fingers there for a moment, a smirk on his face.

Dan rolled his eyes. "I don't appreciate the teasing, Noah; not tonight."

Noah chuckled. "You're always so fucking impatient." 

Dan narrowed his eyes and went to say something, but it was in that moment that Noah pushed a finger inside him and whatever he was going to say was lost. The only thing he could concentrate on was Noah and that one finger he had buried inside him. Noah quickly added a second digit, and then a third. Dan started to push himself back onto Noah's fingers, his teeth biting his bottom lip. Noah was mesmerized by the noises that Dan made, his own dick hard and begging to be inside his lover.

When Noah's fingers hit his prostate, Dan thought he was going to die. "Fucking hell, babe."

"You're so vocal when you're turned on," Noah commented with a chuckle.

Dan groaned and reached for Noah's hand. "Enough, Noah, please."

Noah removed his fingers from Dan's hole, causing him to groan at the empty feeling he was left with. He leaned across Dan's body, his knees between the older man's legs and his dick positioned at his entrance. They never broke eye contact as Noah pushed forward ever so slowly.

"God, babe. You always feel so amazing... so tight..." Noah moaned as the head of his cock popped in. He held completely still until Dan nodded. "Move,"

Noah rested his hands on the either side of Dan's head and began to push further into his body until his entire length was inside the tight passage. Dan wrapped his legs around Noah's waist and the younger man pulled out slowly before thrusting back in. Noah kissed along Dan's neck before pulling back once again.

"Harder, faster, baby," moaned Dan softly in his ear.

They kissed deeply and Noah pulled out almost completely before slamming back into Dan's tight heat. He repeated the action over and over, setting a fast pace and hitting Dan's prostate with each thrust. Dan couldn’t control his moans and arched his back, pushing himself further onto Noah's dick.

"Baby... fuck... so good..." Noah panted, his body glistening with sweat.

Dan could no longer speak. He was so close to losing it. He wanted to hold back and make this moment last longer, but there was no stopping it now. He reached down for his cock, wrapping his fingers around it and furiously stroking it. He was teetering on the edge of his orgasm and Noah knew it.

"Cum for me, baby. Just let go." Noah moaned into Dan's ear.

It was Noah's words that sent Dan over the edge. Noah covered his mouth in a kiss as he cried out Noah's name over and over as he came between them. His muscles clenched around Noah's dick as he continued to pound into him.

"So good, baby. Almost there," Noah panted. Within moments Noah's body tensed as he shot his seed into Dan’s body and then collapsed on top of him. Exhausted, Dan wrapped his arms around Noah's back and held him tight to his chest. It took a while for either one of them to catch their breath.

"Very nice, Reid."

Noah laughed and lifted up slightly, catching the pleased smile on Dan's face. "Thanks. You weren't bad either, Levy." He rolled off of Dan, sliding out of him as he did. Dan groaned and turned over to him. "Thanks,"

Noah smiled and slowly pulled himself out of bed, headed for the bathroom. Dan watched him from the bed, his eyes fluttering shut. He had no intention of following; he wasn't even sure he could walk. A few seconds later, Noah re-entered the room with a towel. He crawled back onto the bed and wiped their bodies clean. He quickly finished and let the towel drop to the floor and pulled Dan into his arms. He sighed contentedly when Dan pulled himself closer, resting his head on Noah's chest.

“I want my steak now,”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, it's been awhile since I write such a long, smutty scene. Felt like this needed one :-)  
> One final chapter left to wrap this up. 
> 
> And, disclaimer, I don't own either of these lovely men...or the cute dog.


	4. Finale

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dan and Noah contemplate their future.

“Hey,” 

Dan looked up from his phone and smile at Noah, who leaned on his office doorway. Redmond, as was his new usual, lay by his feet. 

“Hi,” Dan flipped his laptop screen down and turned the phone over. 

“I haven’t heard the phone ring in about 10 minutes so I figured I could finally come in.” Noah smiled and walked towards where Dan sat and leaned against the edge of his desk. “Think I could get a few seconds to congratulate my amazing Emmy nominated boyfriend?” 

Dan groaned and lowered his head to his hand. “Oh my God, don’t say that. I still can't believe this morning happened.” 

Noah laughed. “Believe it, baby. It happened. 15 nominations!” He lowered his hands to lift Dan’s face up. “It happened because you’re brilliant. You deserve this, Daniel.” 

Dan’s eyes watered for what felt like the hundredth time that day. The news of the show’s many Emmy nominations had catapulted his day into one spent fielding phone call after phone call from the media. He’d barely had a chance to connect with his Schitt’s Creek castmates before the calls had begun that morning. Hell, he’d barely had a chance to even reconcile that this little show idea he had bought to his dad was now an Emmy nominated powerhouse. His emotions had been all over the place all morning and now it seemed they would boil over thanks to Noah’s words. 

“Stop. I’ve cried enough today, Noah.” 

Noah shrugged. “Tough. You’ve been in here all day and I haven’t gotten a chance to tell you how disgustingly proud I am of you so I’m gonna do it now. You can cry all you want about it.” 

Dan laughed and shook his head. “Thanks, babe.” 

Noah bent down and pressed a soft kiss to Dan’s lips. “I mean it. You’re brilliant, Dan. You have a magical touch. You can tell the most beautiful stories. You help people and impact their lives. You have the most amazing heart. You turned our time on the show into the best time for all of us—we wanted to be there and tell those stories. We were more than co-workers; we became a family. That doesn’t happen often. It’s because of you, babe.” 

Dan closed his eyes tightly. “You’re killing me.” He smiled and tugged Noah down into his lap. “Thank you. It means more than you know to hear you say this.” He rested his head on Noah's shoulder, trailing his lips over his neck as he inhaled deeply the smell coming off his body. 

“I mean it. I love you, Dan,” Noah leaned in once more, his lips touching Dan's in a gentle kiss. The kiss became deeper as his tongue snaked its way into Dan's mouth, holding him close even as the kiss ended. 

Dan sighed and rested his head against Noah’s, just relishing in the quiet moment between the two. In the past month Noah had been living with him he had gotten used to many moments like this between the two of them—he and his boyfriend. It was still a shock to say Noah’s name followed by that title. Days spent with Redmond in the park or on neighborhood walks, afternoons spent watching each other’s favorite movies, nights spent eating dinners they had cooked together before going up to bed and reading quietly before falling asleep in each other’s arms…after doing other things in each other’s arms. 

“I love you, too. I’m happy you’re the one here with me today,” 

Noah raised an eyebrow. “Today? Just today? I knew I’d wear out my welcome eventually. I’ll just grab Red and go…” 

Dan rolled his eyes and pulled Noah back as the younger man moved out of their embrace. “Oh, shut the hell up. You’re not going anywhere.” 

Noah smiled and winked up at him before placing a quick kiss on his lips. 

“And, FYI, Red is my dog, you know.” 

Noah shrugged and looked down at the small dog curled up at his feet. “At this point, that’s debatable, babe.” 

Dan looked at his dog and shook his head. His dog’s traitorous behavior had only increased in the past few weeks. “Brats, both of you.” 

He moved his lips to the back of Noah's neck, kissing the sensitive place just below the hairline and teasing the skin with his tongue. Noah shuddered and tiny goose bumps appeared, raising the hair on back of his neck. Dan moved up and kissed the back of his head, enjoying the soft curls against his face. He moved back to the side of his neck and teased Noah's ear with a soft nibble before pulling away. 

"That feels good," Noah said through a moan, his half-lidded eyes locked onto Dan's. 

Dan gasped when Noah's hand moved down his chest to lie on his growing erection and began stroking him in a gentle motion. He was silent for a few moments, lost in Noah's amber eyes. He broke the gaze to look down at the younger man's hand, still stroking him softly. "Maybe we should move upstairs…" 

Noah opened his mouth to respond before the alert from Dan’s phone interrupted. Dan groaned softly and reached for his phone, quickly smiling once he looked at the screen. 

“It’s my dad. Since we can't actually go to the Emmy’s this year he’s already started planning a backyard party at the house for all of us. He’s giving us notice because he wants us all there,” 

Noah’s smile wavered as he nodded. “Eugene’s the greatest.” He took a deep breath and rose from Dan’s lap, walking over to the large window looking out into the backyard. 

“He is,” Dan frowned. “What just happened?” 

“Nothing,” Noah shook his head. He turned to look back at Dan and smiled. “Sounds like a good plan. It’ll be a great time.” 

“But…” Dan crossed his arms over his chest. “What aren’t you saying?” 

Noah sighed and turned back to the window. “Nothing...it’s silly. I knew I’d have to go back to reality at one point and I knew it would suck but now that there’s an actual date on the horizon….it’s just gonna be weird.” 

“What are you talking about, Noah?” Dan’s frown deepened. 

Noah looked down at his hands, unable to meet Dan’s intense stare. “When I left Toronto a few weeks ago I was running from something and I was a mess. I knew what I hoped I'd find when I came here and I actually found it. I feel like a different person now. I feel right with you, Dan. When we go back home now and we’re with our parents and friends and the rest of the cast, are we just gonna go back to being Dan and Noah, friends?” 

Dan frowned. “What? Why would you ask that?” 

Noah shrugged. “Does anyone but Stacey even know I’m here with you? Have you even told anyone about us?” 

Dan sighed loudly and walked over to where Noah stood. “Noah, if I've done something to make you think things would be different when we go back home, I’m sorry. Last I checked you were the one who told me you didn’t want me to tell anyone where you were.” 

“That was weeks ago when I first got here, Dan. I wasn’t in my right mind!” 

“Are you now because you still sound pretty crazy,” 

“Daniel…” 

“Noah,” Dan interrupted. “I thought I was doing what you wanted by not telling anyone you were here with me. You said you didn’t want anyone to know where you were except your parents. The only person I told was Stacey because I thought I was gonna have a nervous breakdown your first night here and I needed to talk to someone. But, that was a month ago. I’m ready to tell people about us if you are.” 

Noah inhaled sharply. “Seriously?” 

“Yeah.” Dan let out a deep sigh. “I’m kinda in love with you, dumb ass.” 

Noah looked down at his hands and shook his head, a soft chuckle escaping him. “Are you trying to turn me into a crybaby too?” 

Dan rolled his eyes. “Go straight to hell, Reid. I’m not a crybaby. I’m an empath,” 

“I stand corrected,” Noah smiled into a soft kiss and pulled Dan closer. Dan rested his head gently against Noah’s, his eyes drifting shut. How he loved the man who currently held him tight. 

“I don’t care about anything anymore, Noah. There are people who are going to compare us to our characters when we come out as a couple. There are people who are going to blame me for your breakup. People are gonna talk no matter what. I’ve made my peace with it.” 

“Dan, I don’t want this to hurt you…” 

“My point is,” interrupted Dan once more. “I’m willing to deal with all of the talking as long as I have you. You’re worth it to me, Noah. I waited so long to be with you even knowing how I felt about you…hell, you almost got married! I’m not letting anything separate us again.” 

“I love you, Daniel. I’m willing to deal with it all, too. I have loved you for so long now...kinda want to scream it from the tallest mountain,” Noah smiled as he lowered his lips to press a soft kiss onto Dan's lips. 

Dan clutched Noah's hips and pulled him in closer, deepening the kiss. “Please don’t ever do something like that because I would throw myself off that mountain immediately after.” 

“Let’s text my Dad back.” Dan tugged Noah forward and grabbed his phone off the desk. “Smile,” 

Noah looked up and smiled as Dan took a quick picture. He included it in the text chain his dad had started with the whole SC family and sent it off with a message reading, “Noah and I can’t wait! We already have lots to celebrate. Can't wait to all be home together soon.” 

“OK, everyone knows where you are now.” Dan said with a shrug. 

“You know the girls are gonna torture you now, right?” asked Noah with a smirk. 

Dan shrugged as he got up. “Yeah, but I’m used to them. It’ll be fine.” 

Only a few seconds later his phone vibrated in his hand. He looked down and smiled at the list of unread messages in the chain. 

“Wait a minute! What the hell is that picture? Dan! Are you gonna get a real life happy ending?” 

“You losers! You’re perfect for each other!” 

“Daniel, I’m going to kill you. Are you and Noah together and you haven’t told me? I’m your sister!” 

“Emmy win or not—looks like we already do have something to celebrate, don't we? I’m very happy for you, son. Noah is a good man. Hurry home, both of you.” 

Noah looked over his shoulder and placed a kiss on the side of Dan’s neck. “What is it?” 

“Looks like we got approval from most of the family,” Dan tilted his head to the side and accepted another kiss in what Noah had deemed his spot. He let his eyes close and sighed contently. “Not that I had any doubt,” 

“Same,” 

________________________________________________________

It was still way too early in the morning when Dan was awoken from a deep sleep to the warmth of a kiss on his neck, a little lick and teasing of the tongue. A warm body pressed up against him from behind and his eyes slowly opened. 

"Miss me?" Noah whispered. 

Dan smiled and shook his head. "How could I? You practically slept on top of me. It's like you didn't want me to forget you were there." 

"Well, I missed you," Noah said. He reached over with one arm and held Dan closer. He kissed his neck and Dan felt his breath on his skin. "I kinda wished we didn't need sleep last night." 

"Well, I don’t know about you but I like to sleep before a flight. You know my theory about sleeping on planes," Dan said, wincing slightly as he shifted under Noah's arm. "Anything less than 5 hours, stay awake. More than 5, medicate me so I sleep the entire time." 

“Yes, I’m well versed on your airplane and sleeping theories,” Noah laughed softly. "Turn to face me," he said, lifting his arm from around Dan and giving him room to roll over. 

Dan rolled over and looked at Noah. Even in the dim light coming through the windows, he could see the beautiful color of Noah's eyes and the longing within them. Noah leaned in close, his lips touching Dan's in a gentle kiss. The kiss became deeper and more passionate. Noah's tongue snaked its way into Dan's mouth and he gave no resistance. Whatever exhaustion he had felt only minutes earlier was hushed by his growing erection. He was shocked at how much he still wanted; no, needed Noah. Noah kissed him over and over, holding him closer and swallowing Dan's low moan when he grabbed his erection and began stroking him in a gentle motion. 

"Babe…" 

Noah smiled, gazing at Dan for a moment as he continued stroking him, their lips still joined in a soft, sweet kiss. As their lips parted, Noah whispered, "Think we have enough time for a quickie before the car gets here to pick us up?" 

Dan gazed down at Noah, admiring his body and absentmindedly licked his lips as he nodded. He reached down and stroked him, returning the favor he was getting. 

Noah relaxed, closing his eyes for a few seconds. He smiled and moaned softly. "God, baby, I love your touch." 

"I love to touch you," Dan whispered. "Can't think of a better way to spend my morning. It’s even better than sleeping in." 

Noah smiled wide, gazing at Dan again. "Oh yeah? Well, I have to say I agree." He bent to kiss him again while increasing the speed of his strokes. Dan took his hand and placed it on top of Noah's. "Slow down, babe. I don't want this to end too soon." 

Noah let go his grip and kissed Dan again. "Sorry. Got a little carried away." 

Dan let go of Noah's erection and reached up to run his fingers through Noah's curls as he kissed him and held him close. He gave Noah a gentle push to guide him to roll over on his back and then slid down his body, kissing and teasing him along the way until finally he closed his lips around his cock. Dan felt Noah quiver beneath him and heard him moan as he began a slow, steady sucking motion and teased him with his tongue. 

"Dan…" Noah said, placing his hands on Dan's head, caressing his hair and holding his head close. "Fuck, you're amazing," 

Noah was quivering beneath him and that encouraged Dan more, increasing his will to bring his boyfriend pleasure. After a few minutes Noah whispered, "Baby, I don't want this to end, but you're gonna make me cum" 

Dan gave him a final lick and gently let go. Noah pulled him back up his body, his skin flushed and his breaths coming in pants. 

"Enjoy that?" Dan asked with a smile. 

"I always do, gorgeous," Noah said, grinning. He kissed Dan again before rolling him over onto his back and grabbing the lube from the night before from their nightstand. 

He spread Dan's legs and positioned himself between them, moving his lube covered fingers to the older man’s entrance. Noah smiled as he gently probed and stretched Dan, feeling him slowly relax before pushing himself gently inside. Dan bit his lip as Noah slowly moved inside him, settling into a slow rhythm. Dan soon lost himself in the motions and reached down to stroke his own erection. 

"You feel so amazing," Noah said, looking down at Dan. "Every fucking time." 

"So do you," Dan whispered. 

Noah pushed deeper and harder as Dan stroked himself faster, moaning beneath him. He knew he couldn't take much more, but he didn't want it to end. The sensations were too intense and Dan soon found himself at that maddening threshold, just before release. He looked up at Noah, his eyes pleading both for this to end and to keep going. The same agony was reflected back at him and he knew Noah could not last much longer. Noah pushed harder inside him, hitting his sweet spot in just the right way. 

"Oh God, Noah, please..." Dan whispered. 

"Fuck," Noah said, breathless. "Cum with me, baby.” 

Dan gasped as the climax hit him hard. He cried out loud and felt waves of pleasure rushing over his body as he spilled into his hand. Noah thrust faster and moments later met his own release with a loud moan. Dan felt the gush of warm fluid inside him and lay there breathless, staring up at Noah. They looked at each other, wide-eyed and out of breath, still locked in their position and trying to recover from the ecstasy. 

Noah smiled down at him after a few moments when he seemed to have caught his breath. He gave one more teasing stroke as he slowly pulled out and lay down beside Dan, reaching up to caress his hair and kissing him gently. 

"I don't think I’ve ever had this much sex in a 2 month period of my life," Dan said with a groan when they broke apart. 

Noah laughed. "Am I wearing you out? I gotta keep reminding myself I’m dating an older man." 

Dan rolled his eyes before letting them close. "Just for that you’re making me and Red breakfast and making sure all the luggage is ready to go while I sleep for a little longer." 

"Fine, go back to sleep." Noah kissed him softly. “I love you, old man.” 

Dan felt his lips curve into a smile as Noah climbed off the bed. His smile grew when he heard Noah’s excited morning greeting to Redmond. Despite his claims of wanting to sleep longer he knew he wouldn’t be able to after Noah’s wakeup and his usual anxiety being heightened over having to take an airplane. Deciding to get a jump on the day he headed for the shower and was so lost in his thoughts that he practically jumped out of his skin when Noah knocked on the glass door. 

“Daniel, you OK? I have coffee.” 

Dan laughed and quickly rinsed himself off. He slid the shower door open and stepped out into Noah’s outstretched arms and the towel he held between them. “Yeah, I just lost track of time.” 

Noah raised an eyebrow. “What exactly were you doing in there that distracted you so much?” 

Daniel rolled his eyes and moved towards the sink, grabbing his beloved face care kit. “Oddly enough, I was thinking about you and how lucky I am to have such an amazing boyfriend...even if he wakes me up too early and calls me old.” 

Noah walked over to Dan and rested his forehead on his shoulder. Dan could feel the smile on Noah’s lips so he turned and placed a kiss on his head. Noah lifted his head and met Dan’s eyes in the mirror. “You are just determined to turn me into a crybaby, aren't you?” 

He bit down on Dan’s neck, his chosen spot, before kissing it gently to soothe when Dan knocked him with his hip. 

“I’m gonna shower. Bagels downstairs, coffee on nightstand. Red ate all his breakfast and is with Shannon for a walk around the neighborhood. Car will be here in about an hour so get a move on.” 

Dan watched as Noah stripped and climbed into the shower. He couldn’t help but smile at how domestic it all felt and how much he loved it. Even after spending every single day together for over 2 months now, he craved Noah every moment he wasn't with him. He couldn’t stop daydreaming about his life with him. It was such an odd thing for him. While Dan knew he threw himself headfirst into his relationships and valued them with his entire being, he had never been so attached in a romantic relationship before. He had been in love and had enjoyed spending time with his former partners but he had also valued his independence and time away from the person. With Noah, he couldn’t breathe without him near and the feeling seemed to be mutual. The two men had enjoyed being nestled away in Dan’s house, alone and away from their normal lives. 

Dan shook his head and stopped his train of thought. He grabbed Noah’s dirty clothes from the bathroom floor and dumped them in the hamper, quickly getting himself dressed as he sipped on the coffee. 

The sounds of barking and an excited squeal from downstairs drew his attention and he headed down to find Red zoom past him in chase of a yellow tennis ball. 

“Hi Dan! Sorry if we were loud. I'm just gonna miss the little guy and wanted a few more minutes with him.” 

Dan smiled at the young woman he had entrusted Redmond’s walks to since he’d moved to LA. He waved off her concern. “Please! Tire him out as much as you want so he doesn’t drive me crazy on the flight.” 

Shannon bent to place a quick kiss on Red’s head as he bounded up to her with the ball in his mouth. “How long are you guys gonna be in Toronto? Do you know yet?” 

Dan took a deep breath and shrugged. “Not really. Can't start working on any filming projects just yet and Noah can't tour so we might just be in Canada until the new year.” 

“Oh, well this little guy and I will just have to plan some FaceTime dates, wont we?” Shannon hugged and kissed Red tightly before standing. “I’ll miss you and Red. I’ll even miss Noah even though Red totally ignores me when he’s around,” 

“Join the club,” muttered Dan. 

“Well, I hope you guys come back home much sooner.” 

He smiled and moved over to give Shannon a hug before watching her leave. His eyes scanned his house which stood so empty only 2 months ago, now feeling like an actual home to him. His countertops were now filled with not only his snacktime guilty pleasures but with a slew of the junk Noah liked. His new sofa where he’d tried to convince Stacey that he wasn’t lonely now had a large throw blanket over it where he and Noah would curl up to watch movies. A few feet away sat the keyboard he’d bought to re-learn his piano skills and was actually getting used more since Noah made it his mission to have him practice an hour a day while he strummed his guitar, which had also found its way to Dan’s house. The same picture he’d sent the SC family via text message had been printed, framed and now sat in the center of the mantle above the fireplace. In the yard, the barbecue gleamed at him. It had become Noah’s favorite thing in the house, Dan was convinced. A slew of gadgets sat beside it along with a number of basketballs pushed off to the corner with a number of other exercise equipment Dan couldn’t recognize. Their matching towels were draped over the two lounge chairs facing the pool. 

“Hey, car is 15 minutes away, babe.” 

Dan turned and smiled at Noah, who came down the stairs, phone in hand. He nodded but turned to look outside once more. A sudden wave of anxiety filled him and he frowned. He didn’t want to leave this. He didn’t want to leave this home he’d created with Noah. Could he re-create it in Toronto? 

“Daniel, you OK? What are you looking at?” 

Dan felt Noah’s arms wrap around his waist from behind. He let his eyes close and he leaned back into the embrace. “You. I'm looking at you,” 

“I’m behind you, gorgeous.” Noah nuzzled his nose into the hair on Dan’s neck. 

Dan smiled and shook his head. “No, you’re everywhere.” He turned in Noah’s embrace and place a quick kiss on his smiling lips. “Everywhere I look here I see you. You've made this home yours too.” 

Noah’s smile wavered. “Oh...I'm sorry. Is it too much? I can...” 

Dan cut off Noah with another kiss, tightening his hold on him before pulling apart their lips. “It’s perfect. It's everything I want—you and me in our home. I don’t want anything to change.” 

He sighed and looked into Noah’s eyes. “Promise me when we get to Toronto we’re gonna do the same things. We’re gonna find a house and turn that house into a home, right? It'll feel just like this one, right?” 

Noah smiled and pulled Dan in for a tight hug. “Daniel, we each put our condos on the market so we can buy a house together. The realtor already found a few. Our entire first week in Toronto is full of appointments to see them. I have no doubt you will find one that you think is perfect for us and that I will love because I get to share it with you. Nothing is going to change between us. You’re not getting rid of me, Levy.” 

Dan sighed into Noah’s neck. “I don’t want to get rid of you. I think I may want you forever, Reid.” 

Noah pulled back and smirked. “Can we get rid of that ‘think’ because I know I want you forever,” 

Dan smiled, his dimples peeking out. “Maybe...I mean, Red seems to like you so I guess for his sake...” he trailed off and went to pull away but Noah held him tight. 

“Oh, right. For Red’s sake,” Noah raised an eyebrow, his smirk deepening. 

Dan wrapped his arms around Noah and melted into the warmth of his body. Noah stroked the skin under his sweater and placed soft kisses all over his face and down his neck. The men stood there, bodies pressed tightly together, more silent promises being exchanged with each kiss until the loud doorbell interrupted the moment. 

“Car’s here,” whispered Noah. 

Dan nodded. “I’m ready,” 

Noah placed a final kiss to Dan’s lips and headed for the front door where his and Dan’s luggage stood. He bent down and clipped a leash onto the excited ball of red fur that jumped up at him. 

“OK, Reddy, calm down. We gotta put you in your little case, OK,” 

Dan moved over to them and bent down besides Noah, holding out Redmond’s travel bag. “In, Reddy,” 

The dog jumped in and immediately lay down, already used to the routine since he traveled so much with Dan. 

“Good boy,” he said with a smile before turning to look at Noah, who watched him. “What?” 

Noah shrugged. “Just love looking at you. Still can't believe how I got here to LA and now how I'm headed back—with you. You're actually mine.” 

Dan lowered his head as he stood up, trying to hide the smile that graced his face. “Believe it, baby,” 

He reached for Noah’s hand and linked their fingers together. “Let’s go.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for going on this totally awesome imaginary ride with me, everyone!  
> I love this pairing and so wish any aspect of my story were true. 
> 
> Love Dan and Noah tons, though, even if they refuse to be together for my sake.  
> Kidding...kinda  
> :-)

**Author's Note:**

> OK, I know Noah just got married but let me have my fantasy!  
> Join me in it!


End file.
